Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-17
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The plans below show the site of an airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
SOUTHWEST AIRPORT
Student answer (Band 5.0)
Overall, it can be seen that the
The given plan illustrate the development of an airport next years and site of an airport now.
Overall, it can be seen that, the there are only 8 gates now and eiften development it was Double and then showed a major changes now and after development.
To commence with, the south side of the airport present Departures and arrivals in boths sids and moving to further North side of the airport present aroung 8 gates and also walkway present and lower area middle of the airport west side Security passport control and East side passport Control Customs in spor airport now.
On the other hand, after redevelopment airport eight gates present same once but now only 8 gates after development around 18 gates. Moreover, Security passport Control & pasport control custons presents there are no changes
lower side of the gates west Northwest
side open some shops. Afterward, departures
and arrivals are in same place but
left side of departure present cafes and upper
side of cafe open Bag drop and also check
in area left side of departures. Furthermore,
car parking present southeast side and upper
side open ATM and cafes after development.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 4.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The student attempts to describe the main features of the airport maps, noting the changes between now and after development, such as the increase in the number of gates from 8 to 18 and the addition of shops, a sky train, and car parking. However, the response suffers from significant comprehension and transcription issues. For example, the writer claims that departures and arrivals are in 'boths sids' and struggles to clearly explain the spatial layout and functional changes. While an overview is attempted ('Overall, it can be seen that...'), the overall treatment of data is disorganised, incomplete, and frequently confusing, leading to an under-developed response that aligns with Band 5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The text lacks clear overall progression and logical organisation. The paragraphing is disjointed, featuring orphaned single-line sentences (e.g., 'Overall, it can be seen that, the there are only 8 gates now...') and fragmented paragraphs. Cohesive devices are either missing or misused, with repetitive transitional phrases like 'To commence with' and 'On the other hand' applied awkwardly. Reference words are frequently unclear, making it very difficult for the reader to follow the spatial relationships between the terminal areas, gates, and facilities. This level of organisation corresponds to a Band 4.5, rounded to 5.0 based on general readability.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and heavily repetitive, relying on words directly lifted from the prompt such as 'airport', 'gates', 'departures', 'arrivals', 'security', and 'passport control'. There are frequent word-choice errors and spelling mistakes, such as 'eiften' (after/eighteen), 'aroung', 'custons', and 'presents'. Less common lexical items are attempted but used inaccurately or unidiomatically (e.g., 'development airport eight gates present same once'). The lexical range is limited and minimally adequate for conveying basic ideas, fitting the Band 5 descriptor.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0
The student demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures. Simple sentences predominate, and attempts at more complex structures are heavily flawed and ungrammatical (e.g., 'after development airport eight gates present same once but now only 8 gates after development around 18 gates'). There are persistent, major errors in subject-verb agreement, tense usage, and prepositional phrasing throughout the text, which frequently impede communication and place a heavy burden on the reader. This performance reflects Band 4.0 characteristics.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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